Colorful Fall with Hermès Le Carnaval de Venise

A few days ago the clocks have been adjusted backward to winter time. From now on the sun sets earlier every day. So many of us leave and return home in the dark. November is normally rather gray and bland month, which is why I think it’s the right time for an extra pop of color!

Every season I await the cream colored envelope with the little Le Carré booklet full of new scarf designs, that Hermès sends its customers. And for over 20 years the anticipation hasn’t changed. There are designs I like more and others that I couldn’t care less about. In the fall/winter 1993/94 booklet Le Carnaval de Venise was introduced, yet in a brown-yellow colorway that didn’t appeal to me.

Venice is a mask over the face of the now, and under it our civilization has been crying over its lost youth in hot golden tears for a century. History wins. Carnival gives back to us, once a year, the echoes of a past where the swishing of gondolas had not yet been silenced. This celebration has no beginning or end; it’s in the air. Its reflections enchant us. Our sighs fly away from us in a great fluttering of wings.

(c) Hermès

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poles in the water / Pfähle im Wasser

Then one day I walked into the Hermès boutique in Hamburg and fell in love with this design. There used to be a very nice Sales Rep called Anna. She was from Greece and she had a charming way of explaining the details of a scarf.

A mystery to me remains why the name of the scarf was changed. From what I’ve read so far there was some sort of trademark infringement with the organizers of the Venice Carnival. Hence the name was changed later (I don’t know what year) to Fetes Venitiennes. So don’t be surprised if you see the La Carnaval de Venice-motif named Fétes Vénitiennes!

By the way, the next Venice Carnivalwill take place from 27th January to 13th February 2018. But don’t worry, you don’t have to wear this scarf in order to be able to join 😉 Since I’ve never been, this is still on my bucket list.

I have never been to the Carnival of Venice but I would love to go. My husband and I have often talked about it.

The scarf is amazing! I agree that wearing bright colours in winter can brighten up your day.

I always loved Hermés scarves but found a true appreciation when their ateliers came and put on a show at the Design X Museum here where they worked on pieces and explained all the effort that goes into each creation. It was remarkable!

I love how you’ve tied your scarf here! How did you do it? It almost looks like a bow tie.

you went to the Hermès Festival des Métiers? Wasn’t that amazing?
I watched two shows on how they print a scarf and must have taken 200 pictures, it was absolutely fascinating.

How I knoted this scarf? I just folded it in its 90cm length a couple of times into “sausage” size, laid it around my neck and and then I made a regular double knot. That was all. It’s easy and makes quite an impression.